The Walking Dead: Pompeii
by lyssabee19
Summary: Pollux, Texas has always been Kelsey's home, even after she married and moved away. When her parents died, she found herself moving back in order to keep her little sister's life in check. That is until the dead started to walk the Earth, eating the living. After losing her husband, Kelsey finds herself crossing state lines with two pre-teens in hopes of reaching Georgia safely.
1. Prologue - Part 1

It wasn't the sounds of her younger sister's giggles that woke twenty-seven year old Kelsey Brandt from her Saturday morning slumber, but rather the sounds of her husband breathing into her ear. It was a rare occurrence, having her husband in bed next to her, seeing as he lived in Georgia and she was once again a resident of Pollux, Texas. "What did I do to deserve a treat like this?" Her voice was light, happy; as she rolled over to face the thirty-four year old she was married to. In actuality, he wasn't due in Pollux for another two weeks.

Ulliam's turquoise blue eyes were closed and his breathing was deep, even; meaning that he was actually asleep instead of faking it – like he was known to do. "I love you." Smiling, the woman reached up to tuck a lock of her caramel colored hair behind her ear as she leaned forward to press a kiss to his brow. The dark haired man simply rolled onto his back and released a contented sigh, as if he was having the best dream of his life. Giving a chuckle, the smaller woman moved to get off of the Queen-sized bed, not a care in her world as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

Padding down the hallway, Kelsey felt her brows knit together as the silence of the house washed over her. Something was off. Wrong. The middle school art teacher could feel it in her bones as she rounded the corner towards her little sister's bedroom, her footsteps echoing slightly on the chilled hardwood flooring as she went. It was far too quiet in the house for Kelsey's liking. It was nearing ten o'clock the morning after a sleepover, Hilary and her best friend – Astrid – should have been awake, causing a commotion and demanding breakfast by now.

The distinct sound of a male voice could be heard on the other side of the door, saying something about needing to get to Austin or San Antonio for the nearest refugee center. What in the? Why in the world would they need to get to a refugee center? Confusion crossed Kelsey's features as she leaned her head up against the door, trying to hear the rest of what the man was saying. From what Kelsey understood, the epidemic was being contained. That's what the neighbors were saying anyway. Besides, Pollux was a good four hour drive from any of the big cities. They had to be safe there.

Squaring her shoulders, the brunette leaned back from the door and shook herself. No one in the small town had been hit by it yet, thank God, but that didn't mean that they would be safe forever. Kelsey knew this, which is exactly why she was happy that Liam was in the business that he was in. "Hey, Lazybones!" Knocking on the door to make sure that she got their attention, the brunette shook herself a moment before she opened it. The sight before wasn't exactly one that she thought she'd see, ever. Hilary and Astrid were perched on the edge of the former's bed, eyes glued to the television screen, the news flashing before their eyes.

They were completely oblivious to the fact that Kelsey had entered the room.

"What is it that's got the pair of you so transfixed this morning?" The brunette cocked her head to the left a little as she waited for one of the two to answer her. Hilary's bright blue eyes were still glued to the television; her pale golden blonde tresses still a mess from the night's sleep. Astrid was a stark comparison to her best friend, her olive colored skin dark against Hilary's pale ivory complexion. Her dark hair was still pulled back into the braids that she slept in, dark brown eyes sliding from the TV set to Kelsey's own green/brown gaze before turning back to whatever the news was covering again.

"They say that more people are gettin' sick Miss Kelsey," it was Astrid who spoke, causing the older brunette to look at the pre-teen with a sense of concern, "the news people said that some of the bigger cities have been overrun." This time the dark skinned twelve year old turned to look at Kelsey, concern in her voice as she pulled her knees up to her chest. "Are my mom and dad going to be safe?" Astrid bit down onto her lower lip, trying not to look like she was scared out of her mind.

Astrid's parents had gone on a short trip over the weekend to celebrate their twentieth wedding anniversary, leaving Astrid in Kelsey's care until they got back. Astrid's older brother, Alpheus, was eighteen and had refused to spend the evening with Kelsey and the younger girls. Where the boy was, Kelsey didn't know. With her mixed green gaze turning to the television set, the artist made a mental note to find out where exactly Al had gotten off to for the weekend. "They're going to be fine," Kelsey said, crossing the room to kneel before the almost seventh grader. "Your dad is one of the toughest people that I know; he'll keep him and your mom safe." Even as she said the words, Kelsey knew that they tasted like a lie.

She could only hope that Astrid believed her.

"What're we gonna do Kels?" It was Hilary this time, her bright blue eyes turning to face her elder sister's murky gaze. "It won't be long before it comes here."

Licking her lips, the brunette reached up to brush her tangled hair away from her face. "Liam's here," she said simply, turning her attention to her little sister. The look on Hilary's face was enough to tell Kelsey that she was immediately going into panic mode and that Kels needed to do something to calm her, and quickly. "Don't panic Hils," Kelsey said, reaching up to tuck a loose lock of her sister's hair behind her ear, "I'm going to go talk to him and see what's up. You two get dressed and meet me in the kitchen. I'll cook you up some chocolate pancakes. Sound like a deal?"

The two girls simply nodded simultaneously before Kelsey stood and headed back the direction that she came.

She needed to get some answers about this damn plague spreading across the nation.

Answers she was sure that her husband would have.


	2. Prologue - Part 2

**Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading the first installment! I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now, if you guys could leave a review at the end of this portion of the prologue for both sections, I'd be much obliged. – Lyss**

"Liam." As much as Kelsey just wanted to let her husband sleep, the caramel haired woman knew that she couldn't, not with those two twelve-year-old girls worrying down the hall. Sitting down next to her husband of seven years, Kelsey frowned. Ulliam wasn't normally this much of a deep sleeper. In fact, she used to be able to roll over in bed and wake him up. "Liam," she urged, shaking his shoulder this time, "c'mon Babe, I need you to get up." Pursing her lips as the older man simply shrugged her hand off of him and rolled away from her. Kelsey could feel her irritation of growing. "Ulliam Gregory Brandt, get up!" Her tone was flat, tense, as she reached out and smacked her husband on his bare back.

The action jolted Ulliam awake, his broad frame jerking upwards at an awkward angle. His piercing blue eyes shot open with a look that Kelsey could only describe as terror, scanning each and every surface of her bedroom, as if he was searching for something. "Kels!" Liam's voice cracked as he finally turned in Kelsey's direction, his eyes taking in every inch of her as they filled with crystalline tears. "Oh God, Kels." Before the middle school art teacher had a chance to react, her husband's tanned arms were wrapping around her and she was being pulled into the warm embrace of his body. "I thought I lost you. I thought I'd never be able to see you again." His voice was so soft that Kelsey wasn't even sure that she'd heard him.

"Liam?" Her head was tucked underneath his chin, something that usually only happened after they had been intimate with one another. "Liam, what's wrong? You're scaring me." His arms were hugging her closer to his body, as if he never wanted to let her go again. He never acted like this. Ulliam was never one to show his emotions, especially not the weaker ones. He was always the level-headed one in their relationship. Calm and collected, that was Liam Brandt. "Please. Tell me what's going on."

It took him a moment to regain his composure, his body stuttering a moment before Ulliam was finally able to open his mouth and speak. "T-the epidemic." For a split second, Kelsey felt her heart stop in her chest. _No._ The man on the news couldn't be right. There wasn't any way that it had gotten to that point yet. "There's no containing it now. It's only a matter of time before it reaches Pollux. Before it reaches you and the girls." Swallowing, Kelsey shuddered as Ulliam pulled her closer to him. She knew what was coming. She had seen the images on the news and she had heard the stories from her frightened neighbors. She had been naïve to think that Pollux would be safe forever, that the small town four hours from anywhere would be a safe haven in the middle of all the madness.

"What do we do?" Kelsey's voice didn't waver as she wrapped her fingers around his arm. She wasn't nearly as scared as she thought she would be. Green eyes were brought to the attention of the bruises on Liam's arms, something that the brunette hadn't seen on him in quite some time. "If nowhere is safe, where are we supposed to go?" The only place that Kelsey could even think of that would be remotely safe would be one of the refugee camps. But for how long? She sighed, thinking of the two little girls in the other room. They were waiting on her. They were waiting on answers.

The answers never came, because the sound of the phone ringing interrupted their conversation.

Pulling herself out of Ulliam's grasp with a little difficulty, Kelsey padded quickly across the carpeted floor to the phone and picked up the receiver. "Faust-Brandt residence, this is Kelsey." The sounds on the other end of the line were things that Kelsey never again wanted to hear in her life. Screams of agony and pain were littered throughout the background as a familiar voice filtered in. _"Kelsey?"_ It was Marjorie Vela, Astrid's mother. _"Kelsey. It's Marjie."_ Biting her lip, the art teacher had to steady herself on the wall as she heard another scream rip across the phone line. "Yes Marjie. What's up?" Keeping her voice steady while Marjorie's breathing was panicked on the other end was definitely the hardest thing that Kels had done in a while. _"Stellan… Stellan's dead. He was bit."_ Kelsey could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest as she faltered on her feet.

Ulliam was beside her in an instant, keeping her on her feet as Marjorie continued on. _"I-I was bit too. Don't have much time left."_ Oh God. What was she supposed to tell Astrid? Hell, what was she supposed to tell _Alpheus_? Astrid's older brother would flip his shit if he found out his parents died and there wasn't anything he could do to save them. "Marjie… I-I don't know…" She was cut off by the older woman's words. _"Don't go apologizin' Kels. There's nothing neither of us can do about it. There is something you can do for me though." _Another scream ripped across the air and Kelsey held tighter to the phone. "What? What can I do Marjie?" Please, anything. _"I need you to look out for Astrid and Al. You're the closest thing they've got to family now and I need you to look out for them."_ Nodding, Kelsey could feel her mouth go dry as the tears sprung to her eyes. "I can do that. D-do you want to talk to her? To Astrid?"

Kelsey could hear the other woman's sob before a stuttering breath came forth. _"N-no. I don't need her last memory of her Mama to be this."_ Kelsey nodded her head sagely as she leaned her head against the wall. "Okay Marjie. Okay." Ulliam's fingers were tight on her shoulder as her knuckles turned white. "I-I'll tell her that you love her and that you'll always be with her."

The line went dead before Kelsey could finish her sentence.


End file.
